Karians Busted for Section 8 Housing Discrimination

New York – In a hard-fought victory against illegal housing discrimination, New York Attorney General Letitia James has halted Greg and John Karian’s unjust practices in the Capital Region. The brothers, who own or manage twenty-four rental units in Glenmont, Albany, and Troy, faced charges for refusing to rent to low-income renters with housing vouchers.

An OAG investigation unearthed a pattern of discrimination, including advertising non-acceptance of Section 8 vouchers and imposing exorbitant late fees. Under the settlement, the Karians must rent at least three units to voucher holders, undergo anti-discrimination training, and limit late fees to five percent of monthly rent.

“Landlords like the Karians are exacerbating the housing crisis by denying low-income New Yorkers their basic right to affordable housing,” Attorney General James stated. “My office will not tolerate such discrimination.”

The OAG probe began last September, following online listings that excluded Section 8 voucher holders. The settlement also mandates anti-discrimination policies, public advertising of voucher acceptance, and penalty payments totaling $9,000.

“All New Yorkers deserve access to affordable housing,” said Senator Patricia Fahy. “Thank you, Attorney General James, for holding these landlords accountable.”

The Karians must also provide OAG with copies of applications and leases from voucher-paying tenants and update their leasing policies accordingly.